Knitting machine



April 27 1926.

' J. H. ZENS- KNITTI NG MACHINE Filed Oct. 9. 1922 20 ,INVENTOR.

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I To all whom it mag] comm:

Patented .Apr. 2 7,

UNITED STATES 1 ,582,321 PATENT OFFICE,

Jl'OSEIPH H. ZENS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

. 7 xm'rrmo amounts.

Application filed October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593,231.

Be itknown that I, JOSEPH 'H. ZENS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machines,- ofwhich the following is a specification', reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof. This invention "relates more particularly .to means for producing. seamless hosiery or the like, with reinforcements comprising portions of different widths; the objectsof this invention 1 being to providecircular knittingmachines of a standard or well known type with means for kn tting splicing or reinforcing yarn with the main yarn .into seamlesshosiery in partial courseszof In the accompanying drawing like characte'rs designate the same parts in thesevera'lfigures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a' portion-of acircular knitting machine in which the improvements constituting the present invention are incorporated; Fig. 2 is a re-,

verse side viewof the thrust bar shown in i Fig. 1; 3 is a plan view of the sinker ring on which cams are provided for swing ing the thrust bar outward, and a cross section of the thrust bar. on the line 3--3, Fig." 1; Fig; 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the pattern drum and a cross section of the thrust bar on the line 4-4, Fig. l; andFi v 5 is a diagrammatic .side view of a hlg splice heel reinforcement such'as the mechaduce.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, 1

designates the rotary needle cylinder of'a nism, shown is specially designed to procircular knitting machine of a well-known.

type, such as the Scott andWilliams machine. It is provided 1n the'usual manner, with needles 2. A sinker ringor web-holder bed 5, is mounted on the upper end of the.

needle cylinder and provided with sinkers invention pertains, need cally described. y .For thepurp'oses of the present invention, the machine is provided'with means for knitting s licing yarn with the main yarn or web-holdersfi; A yarn guide 8 pivotally mounted on a pin 9 in an arched exten-. sion 10 of the latch guard ring 11 and spanning a radial slot therein, is movable at its inner lower end, as indicated by dotted and full linesfinto and out of operative position for directing splicing yarn to the needles 2. The latch guard ring 11 is pivotally connected by a pin 12,-w1th apost 13, risingfrom the stationary bed '14.- on which the needle cylinder. is rotatably with -a bevel gear 15 driven by "the usual or any'suitable mechanism (not shown).

A spring 17, tends to swingthe yarn guide 8 downward from its elevated inopmounted erative position, shown by fulllines, into op-' erative position, indicated by dotted lines, in which it rests'on the throat plate 18, at tached to the latch guard ring 11, and span: ning the slot therein.

'A pattern drum 20, with which machines .of thisitype are-provided, is located below the yarn guide 8 and bed 14, and is operated by the usual or any suitable actuating COIIDGOtlOllS (not shown).

The parts thus far enumerated are common 'to circular knittin machines of the class referred to, and their construction and operation being well understood by those familiar with the art to which the present into seamess'tubular articles, such as 110 me to yorm reinforcements such as a so-ca led high-splice heel *havin ,narrower'and wider means comprises a longitudinally movable andlateral y swinging thrust bar between the yarn gulde Sand pattern drum 20, for

shifting the yarn 'guide out of operative position, cams of difierent len hs mounted on and rotatable with the sin er ring 3. in

different horizontal planes for swinging the thrust bar outwardly during parts of successive revolutions of the needle cylinder and cams on thefpattern drum 20 for Shift, ing the thrust bar -bodily into position to hold the yarn guide-out of operative position and for shifting apart oft-he thrust bar.

from position to cooperate with one of the cams on the sinker ring into position to cooperate with the other,

not be more-specifiimpartial courses of diflerent len heportions. As shown y the drawing, such- The thrust bar, as shown, is composed of two sections or members 22 and 23, one of ber 22 is formed .or

which is guided and movable lengthwise on the other. g

The section or member 22 is. slidably fitted in a channel formed in one side of the section or member 23, and is connected therewith and held in place by shouldered screws or studs 24 and 25, each passing through a slot in one section and threaded or fastened in the other section. The section or memrovided with an inwardly projecting tipping abutment 26, opposite the sinker ring 3,. and adjacent its lower end with a lifting abutment 27 which may consist of a nut or roller on the screw or stud-25, as'shown in Fig; 4.

The thrust bar is supported and guided in the usual way adjacent its. upper and lower ends, by combs 29 and 30, and pivots adjacent its lower end onthe rounde surface of a transverse rod .or bar 31 to which the comb is fastened, so as to swing at its upper end in the comb 29 towards and from the needle cylinder 1' and sinker ring 3. The member or section 23' projects at its up- I per end above the upper end of the section or member 22 into engagement with a cam or incline .34, formed on the under side of.

the yarn guide -8. At its lower end the section or member 23 bears on the pattern drum 20; v p

A sprin '36 connecting the sections or members 0 the thrust bar with each other, tends to shift the section 22 downward and to hold it in its lower position on the section 23.

' A's shown'b the drawin the machine is desi ed particularly for nitting seamless stoc 'ngs with high splice heel reinforcements, comprising narrow upper portions a, and wider lower portions 22,- next to the heels, as shown in Fig. 5, but it may be adapted or used with little or no change, for knitting other tubular or seamless articles with similar reinforcements or for knitting stockin s with reinforced soles, as well as with big splice heels. 7

For the particular purpose above mentioned, the sinker ring 3 .1s rovided with two cams '38 and 39, of di erent lengths,

located one above the'othe'r and adapted to coo erate with the abutment 26 in its upper has an lower positions respectivel for swinging'the thrust bar outward an shifting the yarn guide 8 u ward out of operative position, as shown y full lines in ig. 1, during correspondingeparts of successive revolutions of the 11 1e cylinder 1.

The pattern drum 20 is provided with cams 40'and 41, for shifting the-thrust bar bodily upward and holding the yarn guide 8 out of operative position during the operations of the machine in. knitting the plain unrein-forcedportions and the heels of stock ings. It is also provided with a cam 42 for en agement with the lifting abutment 27, to shi the tipping abutment 26 on the section or member 22 of the thrust bar, upward, into position to cooperate with the upper cam 38 for knitting the upper narrow portion a of the high splice heel reinforcement. In the operation ofthe machine, while the lower end of the thrust bar rides on the cam 40, the knitting mechanism functions in the usual way to knit the plain unreinforced portion of the leg of a stocking. As

' the thrust bar clears the trailing end of the .cam 40, the pattern drum being rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow on Fig. 1, the yarn guide 8 is released by the thrust bar and turned downwardly by the spring '17 into operative position on the throat plate 18, .and the tipping abutment 26 is shifted upward by engagement-of the cam 42 with the lifting abutment 27, into position to cooperate with the upper and longer cam 38. While the abutment 27 rides on the cam42, the cam 38 swings or tips the upper end of the thrust bar-outward, and by its action on the cam or incline 34, shifts the yarn guide 8 out of, operative position during corresponding parts of successive revolutions of the needle cylinder, the yarn guide being released and returned by the Spring-'17 into operative position during intervals of such-revolutions of the needle cylinder corresponding with the distance between the ends of the cam 38. The splicing yarn is thus delivered to the needles 2 and knit with the main yarn into the stocking corl'aresponding parts of successive courses, ere

reinforcement, the length of the narrow portion of thereinforcementvertically and the number of courses into which it is knit, depending Tupon the variable intermittent movement of the'pattern drum'20.

When the abutment 27 clears the cam-42, the tipping abutment 26 is shifted downward by the spring 36 into position to cooperate with the lower and shorter cam 39, and-the yarn guide 8 is in like manner shifted and held by the thrust bar out of operative position during shorter intervals or partial successive revolutions of the needle cylinder, and the splicing yarn is delivered to .the needles and knit into the stocking in longer partial courses,which correspond in length to the distance. between the endsof the cam '39, to produce the wider and usually much shorter lower portion b,.of the reinforce- -ment next to the heel.

. When the .heel reinforcement is completed, the cam 41 by engagement with the thrust bar, lifts the yarn guide 8 and holds, it out of operative position during the knitting of the heel.

If desired, the same splicing yarn may be forming the upper narrow portion a, as s own in Fig.- 5, of the high splice heel machines of different makes or designs, and

' to produce reinforcements of different widths and different lengths, may be made without departure from the principle and scope of the inventionas defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine the combination with a rotary needle cylinder provided with needles, a yarn guide movable into and out of operative position to direct splicing yarn to the needles, and a pattern drum, of a laterally swinging bar movable towards and from the needle cylinder and adapted when swung outwardly to shift the yarn guide out of operative position, an abutment mounted on and movable lengthwise of said bar, cams of different lengths connected and rotatable with the needle cylinder in different horizontal planes and adapted by engagement with said abutment to swing and old said bar outward during parts of successive revolutions of the needle c' linder, and a cam on the pattern drum -a apted to shift said abutment from one of its operative positions to the other.

.2. In a knitting machine the combination with a rotary needle cylinder provided with .needles, a yarn guide movable into and out of operative position to direct splicing yarn to the needles, and a pattern drum, of a longitudinally and laterally movable thrust bar adapted when moved lengthwise upward or swung outward, to shift the yarn guide out of operative position, an abutment mounted on and movable lengthwise of the thrustbar', cams of different lengths connected and rotatable with the needle cylin .der in diflt'erent horizontal planes, and each adapted by en agement with said abutment to swing and iold the thrust bar outward during parts of successive revolutions of the needle cylinder, a cam on the pattern drum adapted to shift said abutment from position to cooperate with one of the two first cams into position-to 000 other, and another cam on't e pattern drum adapted to shift said thrust bar upward at a predetermined point in the operation. of

the machine and to hold it out ofv operative position during the knitting of a certain number of courses.

3. In a knitting machine the combination. with a rotary needle cylinder provided with needles, a yarn ide movable into and out of OPUIEtlVG'POBltlOIl to carry sphcing yarn rate with the to the needles, and a pattern drum, of a longitudinally movable and laterally swinging thrust bar composed of sections one of which is mounted and movable lengthwise on the other and is provided with a tipping abutment and a lifting abutment, cams'of different lengths rotatable with the needle cylinderin ifl'ferent horizontal planes and each adapted by engagement with said tipplng abutment to swing and hold said bar outward in position to hold the yarn'guide out of operative position during correspondof position to carry splicing yarn to the needles, and a pattern drum, of a longitudinally movable and laterally swinging thrust bar composed of sections one of which is mounted and movable lengthwise on the other and is provided with a tipping abutment and with a liftin abutment, cams of different len ths rotata le with the needle cylinder in fferent horizontal planes and each adapted by. engagement with said tipping abutment to swing 'said bar outward and to hold it in position to hold the yarn guide out of operative position during corresponding parts of successive revolutions of the needle cylinder, a cam on the attern drum adapted by en agem'enq wit said lifting abutment to shift the tipping abutment from a position to cooperate with one of the two first cams into position to cooperate with the other, and another cam on.

the pattern drum adapted by engagement with the thrust bar to shift it upward into position to hold the yarn guide out of operv ative position."

5. In a knitting machine the combination with. a rota needles, a pivoted yarn guide movable into and out of o erative position to carry splicing yarn to the needles, and provided with a earn, a spring tendingto shift the yarn guide downward and hold it in operative position, and a pattern drum, of a longitudinally movable andlaterally swinging thrust bar located between the yarn guide and pattern drum and composed of two members one of I which is guided and movable'lengthwise on the other and is provided with a tipping abutment adjacent; the needle cylinder and with a lifting abutment adjacent the pattern drum, a spring tending to shift the abutment member of the thrust bar downward, cams of different lengths rotatable in different horizontal planes coaxially and needle cylinder provided with a synchronously with the needle cylinder and each adapted by engagement with said tipping abutment to swin the thrust bar outward and hold it in POSItiOIl to hold the yarn of successive revolutions of the nee swing the thrust bar inward by engagement of the yarn guide cam with said bar, and

Leees'? a cam on the pattern drum adapted by engagement with'the lifting abutment to shift 'the tipping abutment upward from position to cooperate with one of-the cams coaxial with the needle cylinder into position to cooperate with the other.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature. 7

I JOSEPH H. 212118.- 

